Layla stood in the center of the ballroom, her presence serene yet authoritative.
She lifted her hand slowly, palm up, a gesture she didn't need to make—purely for dramatic effect.
HUMMMM!!!
In that instant, her divinity unfurled, not in a blaze or violent surge, but in a calm, steady swell, like a tide quietly slipping over the shore.
It drifted outward, wrapping the grand venue in its gentle embrace before spilling far beyond, reaching the Stronghold and washing over every corner of Reality Nine in one seamless, invisible sweep.
Then she spoke.
Her voice was soft, almost gentle, but it carried the absolute weight of Truth itself.
"Mana.... it has never existed within Reality Nine."
The moment those words left her mouth.... the effect was instantaneous.
Across the grand hall, guests suddenly gasped and clutched at their chests.
A Sect Elder in ornate robes staggered backward, his face twisting in horror as the familiar flow of mana in his core simply… disappeared.
